Troubadours Reunion Rock Alert

The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours will be at IOTA DECEMBER 29 with all four original members including local guitar guru, Dave Chappell. You could think of it as DC's version of the Beatles getting back together. One show only. Don't miss it!

Way WAY Too Much Goin' On

The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours named themselves after one of D.C.'s oldest watering holes which used to hold down the corner of 15th and F NW. Sadly, perhaps even criminally, it was torn down in 1984 to make room for "progress" despite efforts to save it. All three of the guys in this band are as original as that place. They all sing and write their own songs which is a lot of talent for one band. Unfortunately for The Troubadours, Jack O' Dell is touring with Bill Kirchen so their live performances have been cut way back. That's why their gig at Chick Hall's Surf Club is a unique happening in a unique place which is also on its way out- probably in a matter of weeks.

It's a weekend chock full of choices, and here's just some of them. There's the venerable Hula Monsters appearing at The Velvet Lounge's Tenth Anniversary Party Saturday night to consider. (Really- just consider that alone for a moment...Hawaiian Swing appearing on the same bill as... x Dead Milkman, Jack Talcum. That alone is worth a trip downtown.) Also appearing are the Ex-Husband Invisible Deadbeats (the band that Can't Make UP Its Mind on what to call Itself.) All of these bands actually have a common denominator which starts with a P which I will reveal on FRIDAY. Go ahead and place your bets now.
There's The Buddy Holly Tribute Show with too many bands to mention Saturday night at Chick Hall's.
And here's the skinny on another scene happening at The Quarry House- from my guest blogger and alter ego, Lyn2: (complete with footnote)

SIGN OF THE TIMES
I finally figured it out. The re-emergence of so many local musicians and bands had me puzzled. Then I noticed: an economic house of cards collapsing, war without end, climate confusion - the inconvenient truths abound these days. What better response to this than our old shamans tuning in to the cosmos? Be it distraction or cure-you can get a good dose this weekend at The Quarry House- an old-time tavern amidst the chain store glitz that has become Silver Spring. This is the kick off weekend for a series of Geezer Punk shows. You don't have to be a geezer or a punk to go. They have good food and an impressive beer selection. Here's what else you will get:

Friday January 25

The Stoats - Okay, I know virtually nothing about this band, but they come highly recommended from Baltimore with connections to The Mumps and Iggy Pop's band so how can you go wrong? They go on at 10.

Tru Fax and the Insaniacs don't play often but they play hard. The line-up includes the incomparable Diana Quinn, mad-scientist David Wells, Kenny Bugg (who may win the area's prize for being in the most bands at one time) and Deaf Drummer Michael Mariotte (name that song) father of the two coolest teenagers around. They'll serve up an extra-long portion of their special pop/punk/garage/new wave/rocking TRUthiness at 11.


Saturday January 26
Ottley starts at 9 so get there at 8.
- Martha Hull - a grrrrl power role model for wise and wild women far and wide. Bob Berberich - who's provided the beat for bands that define my lifetime exposure to rock and roll. Marshall Keith - who taught the guitar to play. Ottley is a hypnotic velvet tsunami.. Don't believe me? Check out I Wanna Be You on their Myspace page; it's why Humphrey Osmond coined the term "psychedelic." *

Rambling Shadows turn up the volume on the psychedelic experience and then some. Phil Duarte had one of their songs stuck in his head for two weeks. If a song is powerful enough to stick around in there I think you want to hear it live. Also Jay Moglia was featured in a pretty funny Daily Show piece last week so now he's a t.v. star, too.

7 Door Sedan -This band brings together talent from a remarkably diverse collection of local bands (White Boy, Acrylix, Vampyre Bunnies just to name a few) for this season's newest and hottest force on the scene. Your reporter has a 100% attendance rate at their two shows to date and is going back for more. 7 Door Sedan's glam/psychedelic/rock and soul thing will wow you and you will go back too.

* "A psychedelic experience is characterized by the perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly ordinary fetters."

(Thank you, Lyn2)

So there you have it- more music than you can shake a drum stick at, and no excuse to stay home.

P.S. Don't forget GHZ TONIGHT!

Old Home Weekend

Anyone who is missing the drum beat of Jack O' Dell with The Troubadours can go see him and the unstoppable Bill Kirchen this Friday night for a special holiday gig at Jammin' Java. It should be a crazy show as saxophonist extraordinaire, Derek Huston will be driving up from New Orleans to sit in.

And at Iota it's the not so common anymore Last Train Home weekend. These shows used to be far more frequent before the band moved down to the big lights and bright city of Nashville.
But now there's the new Last Train Home DVD shot at Iota where they started out ten years ago. It's a nice souvenir for Iota patrons as well as Train fans and will be on sale at the shows this weekend. The Sunday matinee is a favorite of mine with drinking parents, dancing children and exhausted party goers- all mellowed out in this little club together. And you never know who'll be sitting in on one of these home based gigs.

Monster Rally Tonight

I'm always a sucker for free music, and in the summer there's a lot to choose from around here. Tonight you can get a free solid hour of The Hula Monsters. If you've been napping, the Monsters have been together for almost twenty years and many stellar players have rotated in and out- including Jack O' Dell, Dan Hovey, Dave Chappell- and Mark Noone (Mark is STILL in )
And you can believe that everybody in this band really knows what they are doing.
The show starts at 7:30 in Mason District Park, 6621 Columbia Pike in Annandale.
All you have to do is show up.

Maybe It's Something in the BBQ?

(Derek Huston, Bill Kirchen, Jack O'Dell, Johnny Castle,
and Andy Rutherford @ The Mayfields' 2007)


The Mayfields' legendary party starring Bill Kirchen and friends took place again over the weekend. Last year it was the Rhodes Tavern Troubadours' last gig before Dave Chappell left the band, and this year, the only Troubadour in sight was Jack O'Dell who has rejoined Bill Kirchen.
(Still like The Beatles, we can always hold out for a reunion...?)




(RTTS plus Derek Huston @ The Mayfields' 2006)